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The first half of 2007 saw some amazing (and disappointing) performances from a number of young actors. After the frenzy surrounding the awards season, the first 2-3 months of the year often seems like a time not to expect too much from films. But in 2007 that was not the case.

Breach, Zodiac, Black Snake Moan, The Wind that Shakes the Barley and The Lookout are just five amazingly good films. There were also a number of sorry failures, however, including Alpha Dog and The Invisible…

Philippe Makes the Grade in Breach: Ryan Philippe, one of Hollywood’s most underrated actors, did a good job in Billy Ray’s Breach, which also featured topnotch performances from Laura Linney and Chris Cooper.

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As 26-year-old FBI agent Eric O'Neill, he is instrumental in bringing to justice fellow agent Robert Hanssen (Cooper) who, for over 20 years, has been selling government secrets to the Russians. The on-screen chemistry between the two is incredibly realistic. There is a sense of connection in the mentoring relationship, where the older agent teaches the new recruit about the art of espionage and much more. While the well-crafted drama-thriller allows Cooper to shine as the agent turned traitor, it is Philippe’s understated acting that makes it both credible and down-to-earth. Grappling with issues of morality, a failing marriage and loyalty to his superiors, Philippe certainly makes the grade.

“Eric O’Neill is ambitious, smart and, at times, maybe a little too cocky for his own good. He takes his job seriously but keeps a sense of humor. Hanssen’s idiosyncrasies and annoying habits get on Eric’s nerves; I liked the idea of seeing Eric’s frustration, and how he lets the guy know he irritates him,” Says Philippe of his character.

After walking in the shadow of his more famous and now divorced wife Reese Witherspoon, tMF is certain that we shall be seeing more of this actor in thought-provoking films. Philippe recently completed work on Kimberly Peirce’s Stop Loss for Paramount Pictures. He also recently completed production on two independent features - Five Fingers, co-starring Laurence Fishburne, and Chaos, about two cops in pursuit of an accomplished bank robber.

A Winner in Cannes: Maverick director Ken Loach was the big winner at the 2006 Cannes Film Fest when his film, The Wind that Shakes the Barley, received the Palme d'Or. The title comes from an old Irish revolutionary song, and the film is set during the early days of the Irish Republican Army, when British occupation of the Irish radicalized many a citizen and caused some to take up arms.

Cillian Murphy plays Damien, a medical student on his way to London when he witnesses a couple of atrocities committed by British troops. Instead of becoming a doctor, he turns into a leading and respected figure in an IRA division led by his brother, Teddy (Padraic Delaney). As the story progresses, the brothers become enemies as the political and social changes force members of many Irish families to turn against one another.

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Murphy described his character very succinctly:

"The fact that Damien is a doctor who finds himself having to kill people is dramatically very powerful - but there are actual historical instances of it. Ernie O'Malley, who wrote about his experiences as a volunteer, was a doctor. I feel that the only way Damien could handle this situation is to have a goal, and then numb himself to it. A lot of men must have done this, especially those like Damien, who had other opportunities ahead of them. They must have needed complete focus, and huge determination to get through it. Somehow Damien has to try and not think of it as killing, and think of it as objectives, and targets met in pursuit of something more important than himself. He is sticking to an ideal, but I think there's also a feeling that he could never live with himself if he gave up - there would be the perpetual 'what if'. That's why he has to persevere. "

After playing some incredibly challenging roles in Breakfast on Pluto and Disco Pigs, Cillian Murphy has proved that he is one of today’s most exciting young actors. His performance as the tragic hero in this film is powerful yet understated. He successfully portrays a once idealistic medical student who becomes an embittered political activist who is willing to die for a just cause.

Murphy also gave us another stellar performance in Sunshine, which will be dealt in full in the next part of this series.

Hunting for a Serial Killer: Jake Gyllenhaal, one of the most watched and talked about young actors in Hollywood, makes quite an impression in Zodiac. After the brouhaha surrounding his role in Brokeback Mountain, Jake has proved he can take on any serious role and come up with a mature, intelligent performance. Gyllenhaal plays Robert Graysmith, an awkward editorial cartoonist and a man possessed: “Alternately repulsed by the Zodiac as a mass murderer but at the same time fascinated by his facility with the obscure language of codes, symbols and puzzles and his seemingly insatiable, preening desire for celebrity.”

“When you're working on a script that's, you know, I've worked on jobs where you're not lucky enough to have such good writing, and at that point it's kind of in your court to...try to make it better. That wasn't - I never had to do that on this movie. I felt like it was more my job to just say everything that was on the page. But then as far as just staying true emotionally to what the character'd be going through. Scott pretty much left me... Left it up to me...Let...it...be up to me,” says Levitt.

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First-time director Scott Frank did an amazing job in coming up with a movie equipped not only with detailed character studies, but one in which he also successfully created a tense, moody atmosphere that brought a sinister feel to the film’s most important scenes. The Lookout also features notable performances from veteran performer Jeff Daniels and a gorgeous yet nasty bad guy in Matthew Goode. Goode, who has been typecast as the boy-next-door, made the successful transition from his usual goody-goody roles to this time being the bad guy. He also features in an upcoming film, the latest adaptation of Brideshead Revisited, with Ben Whishaw and Haley Atwell.

A Blues Man and a Nymphomaniac in Black Snake Moan: When ex-blues musician Lazarus (Samuel L. Jackson) finds the town nymphomaniac Rae (Christina Ricci) left for dead on the side of the road, he vows to nurse her back to health…and to cure her of her wickedness. Until then, she’ll be chained to the immovable radiator in his home. But Lazarus has demons of his own: his wife just left him for his own brother. While Lazarus and Rae struggle to fix their broken lives, the situation threatens to explode as Rae's boyfriend Ronnie (Justin Timberlake) — a roughneck soldier just back from Iraq — comes searching for his missing lover.

Justin Timberlake, fresh from the success of his latest album, proves that he can also act and act awesomely. Although Timberlake plays a supporting role to Christina Ricci and Samuel L. Jackson, he is able to hold his own and comes out with a decent and memorable performance.

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Christina Ricci is more than a revelation in this film. Ricci deserves a lot of credit for the raw sensuality of her performance. Many actresses would shy away from accepting this type of role, let alone abandoning themselves to the character. Half-naked for most of the film, Ricci’s character is a woman so promiscuous that she finds nudity a natural thing. If Ellen Page is amazingly wonderful in Juno, Ricci is seductive and utterly unforgettable in Black Snake Moan.

Sorry Failures: There were also a number of big disappointments in the first half of 2007: two of them enjoyed huge publicity blitzes but still failed to bring home the goods.

In Alpha Dog, Emile Hirsch plays Johnny Truelove a character based on Jesse James Hollywood, a drug dealer in California's San Gabriel Valley who, in 2000, became one of the youngest men to appear on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list.

He leads a cast of young and talented actors, among them Ben Foster, Justin Timberlake and Anton Yelchin. A lot has been said about how the actors prepared for their roles, but the movie failed to sustain the excitement during the first half - it became dull and muddled. Not even the presence of Bruce Willis and Sharon Stone could spark life to this forgettable film. The only redeeming value was the amazing performance of the young Anton Yelchin, playing the role of the young victim, Zack Mazursky. Yelchin also made waves in Charlie Bartlett, which was released later in the year. Hirsch managed to shine given the circumstances- it's not easy playing the lead role with not much to go on...

The Invisible, supposedly the vehicle for Justin Chatwin, also took flak from the critics. Based on a Swedish supernatural drama, this remake sees Justin Chatwin playing Nick Powell, a young man who is attacked and left for dead, then finds himself in limbo, invisible to the living and racing against time to find his body before he truly perishes. This critical failure was a big surprise, considering that the film was directed by David S Goyer, writer/director of “Blade: Trinity” and writer of the “Blade” franchise and the box-office smash hit “Batman Begins.”

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In Part 2, we'll feature the best performances from British, French, German and Scandinavian actors. In Part 3 we explore more of what world cinema has to offer, before the last part where we list the top 10 best performances of the year.

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